Real energy independence can be tricky to accomplish, but during the past few years, I’ve accumulated some insights that aren’t so obvious.
The main misconceptions about life off-grid are that it’s a struggle undertaken only by burned-out hippies, preppers awaiting the apocalypse and misanthropes holed up in remote mountain cabins.
I have met a number of these people (I’m a combination of all three), but grid independence remains my main reason for living this way. And you’re not so independent if it requires lots of cash, worry or maintenance.
So here’s a few of my best-kept secrets of living off-grid, to make the experience as affordable and headache-free as possible.
Find people to power your off-grid projects
When I asked my daughter for her top pros and cons of living off-grid, she responded:
“There’s not many people around, and… there’s not many people around.”
Teens can be wise.
People, especially people with the skills and knowledge you might need to finish a project in a timely manner, can be a scarce resource here. But we all have more access than we probably realize.
You can save tons by taking a DIY approach to installing and maintaining off-grid systems, but this can be difficult-to-impossible in some jurisdictions, especially if you want to be fully up to code. This is where those scarce people-resources come in. If you’ve got someone in your network of friends or family with DIY or even professional building skills, chat them up about their exploits.
There are few DIYers out there who don’t love oversharing about their projects. (Some will even go so far as to write several thousand words about them on CNET.com.) Once you’ve got these folks invested, the next step is to invite them over to check out your project. We’ve had some success holding “work parties” — you supply plenty of food, beverages and good cheer and your buddies bring their skills, tools and sweat for a day. Just be sure to pay it forward when your friends have projects in the future.
Every homestead is unique and there’s rarely a perfect resource for your specific project. I rarely find complete answers or solutions to my quandaries from a single YouTube video or article. I typically end up doing mini deep-dives into the topic at hand to determine the path forward, whether it’s the myriad differences between lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries or the different types of propane regulators. Even then, sometimes I forget to consider some unique aspect of my situation, and then trial and error is the only way I get the project finished and working. I always have something I need to return to the hardware store that turned out to be the wrong part for a project.
More tips to maximize your off-grid savings
Independence is the meat of the off-grid meal, and not paying utility bills is the gravy. A little planning in the beginning can help maximize those savings.
